Best Album of the Day

My Morning Jacket - Circuital

2011-06-29T17:05:00.001-06:00

This album provides a great deal of variety from song to song. It's not hard to draw comparisons to other bands, such as The Fleet Foxes, Kings of Leon, and Wilco when scanning through the tracks. Even with these tinges of similarity, it is still a very original and addicting album. Wonderful (The Way I Feel) can draw you in right away, while The Day Is Coming and You Wanna Freak Out seem to get better with every listen.

Ryan Bingham - Mescalito

2008-09-11T09:34:00.001-06:00

I will be honest: I know nothing about this guy other than the fact that his voice is what 100-grit sandpaper would sound like if sandpaper could sing. And if sandpaper had a band, they would probably sound a lot like Bingham's band.

Mescalito came out in 2007, and I think I might have listened to a few songs at one point. How I didn't keep on listening is beyond me, because I have fallen in love with this album. Bingham's voice itself is the highlight, but so is his ability to get your feet tapping. He kind of sounds like a hung-over Steve Earle mixed with some Neil Young/The Band instrumentation. I know - Steve Earle sounds plenty hung-over already. That's how cool Bingham's voice really is.

So here's what you need to do: Fire up iTunes, Rhapsody, Napster, or whatever you use, and put on the song "Hard Times." Spend a few minutes with that song. Then enjoy the rest of the album because you'll be hooked.

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Dr. Dog - Fate

2008-08-11T10:38:00.005-06:00

Yes yes, it's been a long time since we've posted. I apologize for that. It's been more like "Best Album of the Summer" than "Day." If you forgive me for that, I will forgive you for not telling everyone you know about this site. Alright, we have now reconciled. Let's get back to the music...

Dr. Dog. Unique band name. Incredibly cool and diverse sound. Influences ranging from The Band, to the Beatles, to Brian Wilson.

I love these guys! I had listened to their We All Belong album last year but didn't really become a big fan. That is changing with their new album, Fate. It is a sonic masterpiece!

So far I can't decide if my favorite track is "The Rabbit, The Bat, & The Reindeer" (has a supremely CLASSIC sound) or "100 Years" (very Wilco-sounding). While these two songs duke it out for my absolute love and affection, take a listen to this album straight through. Like I said, it's got enough diversity to it to make it a truly enjoyable musical experience.

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Micah Dalton - Pawn Shop

2008-06-30T08:17:00.000-06:00

I love this guy's voice! Somehow, someway, it's a mix of Amos Lee, Keb Mo, and Ray Lamontagne - Absolutely perfect for Dalton's unique down-home style of folk/blues/soul/pop.

This album feels well-produced: enough effort went into it to make it sound "complete", but not so much that it sounds like too much. Yeah, I don't really know what I just said either.

The bottom line with Micah Dalton is that I think he sounds good, writes good songs, and wears suspenders which just puts him over the top for cool points.

Pawn Shop is the kind of album I can load in my player and listen to in my backyard hammock while swaying in the wind, an experience reserved only for special albums. Check it out!

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Jon Foreman - Summer

2008-06-18T08:32:00.009-06:00

Summer is here! We posted Foreman's Spring EP a few months back with great expectations for Summer, the fourth and final installment of Jon Foreman's quad-EP year. In my opinion, this album does not disappoint.

Musically, Summer picks up where the other EPs left off with a nice assortment of instrumentation and arrangements somewhat different that what we are used to hearing with Foreman's everyday band, Switchfoot. The string arrangements are present, as are some less than typical instruments like dulcimer and sitar.

Lyrically, this has become my favorite of the EPs. "House of God, Forever" is probably the strongest track on the album. This duet with Sarah Masen (Foreman's sis in law) is absolutely beautiful.

The track "Again" is a perfect ending to the series both musically and in verse. It's refreshing to listen to a commercially successful artist like Foreman churn out such intimate, spiritually-charged songs. That can be a risk, and it's a risk I'm glad he has taken. I hope he takes the time to do some more albums of this nature in the future.

And once again, Jon, I'm sorry that I thought your band sucked so bad back in 1997. May you accept the multiple endorsements of your current music as my apology. And I accept the greatness of your current music as your apology for sucking so bad back then.

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Storyhill - Storyhill

2008-06-16T00:10:00.001-06:00

Sometimes musical reunions are a good thing, and that is certainly the case with the acoustic harmonizing duo known as Storyhill. Storyhill is John Hermanson & Chris Cunningham (formerly known as Chris and Johnny). After taking a break in 1997, their fan base actually grew as loyal listeners spread the word online. Eventually, they decided to reunite in 2001 and began working on some new material.

I first heard these guys at an outdoor college festival in the mid 90’s. I’ve always been drawn to that “Simon and Garfunkel type” folk sound, and I remember really enjoying what I heard that day. It’s amazing how multifaceted a song can become with a couple guitars and harmonized melody lines.

I’ve owned and listened to a few of their previous albums, although none of them spoke to me as a whole the way their latest self titled album does. From the previous collections I remember, there were certain songs that stuck out as being radio worthy, but some of the others seemed to lack in dynamics and definitive melody. I’d often find myself skipping around to find my favorite tracks. With their newest album, I listen to it from beginning to end, and over and over again. I can’t pinpoint exactly what makes this one so different, but it draws me in and keeps me there for its entirety. For a while, I was unable to identify a favorite song, but now I’d have to say that "Love Will Find You" is my personal choice.

Storyhill’s unique sound and knack for sonic storytelling seems to have matured into who they are today. Some musicians start strong and whither, but this group seems to be gaining more momentum as artists the longer that they work at perfecting their craft.

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New Travis Song

2008-06-11T10:37:00.002-06:00

Travis have a new single called J Smith. It's different than anything I've heard them do before. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or bad thing, but what will really matter is how the full album comes out. I have no idea when that will be, but here's the track:

Travis - J Smith

I'm still loving The Boy With No Name so my advice to Travis is take your time on the new stuff. (I'm pretty sure they read Best Album of the Day).

What do YOU think?

Donavon Frankenreiter - The Abbey Road Sessions

2008-06-04T07:59:00.007-06:00

Welcome to another "Friends of Jack Johnson" post! That guy just has tons of friends that are cool. And not only are they cool, they make great music. (In the near future I'll be posting some artists from JJ's Brushfire label)

Donavon Frankenreiter is one of JJ's surfing buddies who has a knack for singing and playing guitar. He's had a few studio albums which are definitely worth checking out. The Abbey Road Sessions is a collection of songs recorded live in concert at Abbey Road Studios. There's a DVD version available as well.

This concert features not only Donavon F. and his talented band, but also some string arrangements and extra background vocalists. The sound of the album has a lot of life, and it features styles ranging from blues jams to slow and easy with a tinge of that mellow-happy sound made popular by Johnson.

My favorite moment on the album is when he introduces the song "On My Mind" by saying it was one of the first songs he ever wrote, and that it's about his wife. Then something about the first line of the song makes me laugh. If I wrote my wife a song and that was the first line I doubt she'd be able to keep a straight face. You'll just have to listen to it.

The song "Call Me Papa" is one of my favorite songs in general, and the arrangement on this album with the strings is even better than the original.

"That's Too Bad" is a funky blues jam with just the right touch of Hammond organ. DF has some nice skills on the guitar too.

Honestly, if I was still pursuing a career in music I'd probably follow Frankenreiter around until he let me join his band as a second guitarist. I dig his style. Plus then he could teach me to surf.

SHOUT OUT: My brother Dan should get some credit here for first introducing me to DF a few years ago. Nice find.

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Mark Olson - The Salvation Blues

2008-05-26T07:50:00.005-06:00

Mark Olson, along with Gary Louris, was once part of the duo-fronted group The Jayhawks. He left the band shortly after the release of Tomorrow The Green Grass to spend more time with then-wife Victoria Williams and release some lesser known albums along the way.

I consider The Salvation Blues to be Olson's comeback album. It's got his signature alt-country twang and some Jayhawks-like harmonies. In fact, Louris even shows up in some of the songs.

My favorite tracks on this album are "Clifton Bridge", "Poor Michael's Boat", and "Look Into The Night." This is yet another album I love playing during any significant time traveling in the car.

Olson's voice is somewhat of an acquired taste but once you get used to is you'll appreciate his unique sound and phrasing. When he and ex-wife Williams put out a few albums as the The Original Harmony Ridge Creek Dippers it was almost too much since their voices are so similar (She's got a far goofier voice however).

I've heard that Louris and Olson have been doing a few shows together in the past year. Here's to hoping they can follow the lead of the Blues Brothers and get the band back together, man!

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William Fitzsimmons - Until When We Are Ghosts

2008-05-22T03:00:00.000-06:00

After having a few people asking me if I was related to this guy (since we share the same last name), I finally decided to give William’s music a listen.

There’s something very relaxing about his voice and recordings. There’s simplicity to his sound, although as you work your way through the album it’s easy to get lost in the subtle grooves being formed.

As I’m listening, I get that same feeling of sitting at a coffee shop with a talented singer-songwriter playing in the corner that I didn’t notice at first, but eventually draws me in to his craft and demands my full attention.

If you’re in the mood for something laid back and easy to chill to, check out this collection by William Fitzsimmons. And by the way, I’m not just endorsing it because he’s my unknown long lost relative. :)

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Danny & The Champions Of The World

2008-05-20T11:58:00.006-06:00

I started Best Album of the Day almost two years ago and I think someone has been reading my posts, learning my likes and dislikes, and doing everything they can to get their album listed on this site. His name is Danny George Wilson. His original alt-country band is called Grand Drive and he's also done some solo work.

Danny & The Champions Of The World is the self-titled album by DGW and a bunch of other musicians from various English groups including Brakes, Goldrush (fantastic band!), Electric Soft Parade, and more. It's basically everything I could ask for in a single collection of songs: Great melodies, beautiful orchestration, desperate vocals, natural sounding acoustics, sonic experimentation that doesn't distract from the whole of the song, and a general "big" sound without sounding overwhelming.

There are hints of Golden Smog (many hints actually), Faces/Ronnie Lane, Big Star, Wilco, The Byrds, Bob Dylan, The Beatles (note the sitar work), and even some John Denver. Trust me, it's cool and you'll love it. You know a band is great when the first influence they list on their MySpace page is The Muppets, the greatest band of all time.

I'm marking this album for consideration as one of the albums of the year which we'll publish next January. It's that good. Listen to "Red Tree Song" and you'll know why I love this one.

And for some useless trivia, DGW's other band, Grand Drive, was once being considered for a record deal by Death Row Records' Suge Knight. Yes, they are a rock/alt-country band and are not hip-hop whatsoever. Amazing.

Even more amazing is that at the moment Death Row's Tupac Shakur was killed, he was listening to Grand Drive's "Tell It Like It Is" in his limo. The band was even invited to play at his funeral which they declined due to prior engagements.

Now you know, and knowing is half the battle (~GI JOE).

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David Crowder Band - A Collision

2008-05-19T05:12:00.000-06:00

David Crowder, for those that don’t know him, is one unique individual. I’ve been a fan of his music for years mostly because I enjoy the way his writing refuses to fall into the “cookie cutter” trap of modern Christian music. It’s different, but there are still plenty of melody hooks and power anthems along the way to keep the listener engaged.

Most of his full length albums are very intricate, multi-layered, musical journeys filled with a variety of instruments, and often built upon a computer generated rhythmic track or two. A Collision goes beyond a group of songs. Each track flows seamlessly into the next, sometimes with little interludes there to tie one song to another.

Crowder even goes as far as making re-mix albums using songs from his previous albums. As I wasn’t a huge fan of Sunsets and Sushi (a remix album using many of the tracks from Illuminate), I really enjoyed what he did with B Collision (a remix of a few songs from A Collision). In fact, I enjoy some of the stripped down B Collision versions better than the originals in most cases.

David Crowder makes great albums to listen to under headphones. If you get the chance, I’d recommend sitting down with a nice set of phones and give this one a listen through from start to finish.

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Romantica - America

2008-05-14T07:49:00.004-06:00

In honor of the show they are playing at First Ave tonight, I present a great Minnesota band in Romantica. America is their second album and like their first it's an excellent work of alt-country/Americana in the same vein as Old 97's/Rhett Miller, early Wilco, and Ryan Adams.

Singer Ben Kyle has a very smooth vocal style that is easy to listen to. The music itself has just enough twang and the string parts as played by Jessy Greene are a nice touch. She actually used to play with the Jayhawks so she's been with some great bands.

I think my favorite song is "The National Side" just because I really like the Mexican horns and accordion. It makes me hungry for burritos in fact.

This is another album I love listening to whenever I'm in the car for an extended period of time. It's a great soundtrack to any road trip.

Short review today so you have more time to listen to this album!

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Iron & Wine - Woman King

2008-05-10T15:11:00.004-06:00

Iron & Wine is basically one guy: Sam Beam. Mostly recognized by his big beard, Beam consistently delivers smooth, melodic vocals and tasty acoustic guitar work with all his music. He uses some guest musicians and vocalists on occasion, but mostly it’s just one guy with a few (primarily acoustic) instruments and multi-track recorder. I love the sonic layering intricacy of what he creates.

Beam has a few full albums under his belt (as Iron & Wine), but my favorite is a six song EP called Woman King. Musically, he creates what seems like rhythmic loops that continue to build and transform as the song progresses. Lyrically, there’s plenty of meaning and depth, although sometimes controversial or mysterious in content. More specifically about this album, Woman King seems to be written about historical women from what I can tell. Honestly, I’m still scratching my head about the meaning or inspiration of some of these tunes, but Jezebel seems to recall some of the events written about in 1 & 2 Kings about Jezebel, who marries King Ahab. It seems like a slightly twisted version of the story, but nevertheless, it’s a powerful song that fits right in to this collection as a whole.

If you haven’t heard it, I highly recommend it. This EP is like a full album with the “filler” songs removed. It’s one worth listening to on repeat mode.

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Andy Gullahorn - Reinventing the Wheel

2008-05-08T11:38:00.006-06:00

Andy Gullahorn is a clever singer-songwriter who writes songs about real life with complete honesty.

Wow I think that's the deepest thing I've managed to write on Best Album of the Day thus far. All kidding aside, Reinventing the Wheel is an excellent album.

I previously mentioned Gullahorn in my review of Jeremy Casella's newest album. They are both part of a big group of musicians that put out some quality stuff. I've got some posts coming up that include more music from this group. (Check out The Rabbit Room sometime and you'll find some good recommendations)

Back to the point, I love this album. Being thirty years-old with a wife and kids allows me to really relate to many of the songs. The track "More of a Man" is totally me. Except for the part about rubbing deer blood on my face. Who does that, Andy?

"How Precious Life Is" is a great song that anybody who has had the life-altering experience of having kids will relate to. "Desperate Man" is something I listen to whenever my life seems to be running on fumes.

This album can be listened to straight through, no skipping necessary. It's real, it's melodic, and every song flows smoothly into the next one. "Give It Time" is a perfect closing track.

Musically it's mainly acoustic with some moments of orchestration, percussion, and other various non-electric instrumentation. Similar to my last post, this is not one you'll listen to when working out. Instead listen to it when you are in a contemplative mood. It will hit the spot.

Also, be sure to check out Andy Gullahorn's website. The man is a genius. Comedic genius that is. "The Drive With Andy" videos are awesome.

We'll have to book him for one of his famous house concerts someday. Given the current readership numbers for Best Album of the Day I'm sure we'd all fit in a standard size living room to hear him do his thing.

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Wood - Songs from Stamford Hill

2008-05-07T06:01:00.001-06:00

I've meant to put this album up here for a long time now. It's one of the great albums that nobody has ever really heard (unless you know me - I made sure friends had a chance to hear this one!).

Wood were a band from the UK that released Songs from Stamford Hill, their only album, in 1999. Headed by James Maddock (who is now living in New York and has a solo career - nice guy too), they mixed flavors of Wallflowers, Neil Young, David Gray, Sting, etc. I think the only single that received US airplay was "Stay You," and attention was limited at best. The song is a bit cheesy but it's still a really good song.

If you were to give me my choice of five albums to take with me on a deserted island, this one would definitely be included. It's maybe not in my top five favorite albums of all time (close however), but I've listened to it over and over and it is impossible for me to get sick of it.

The song "Whole Lot to Think About" is undoubtedly my favorite on the album. There's nothing like an acoustic ballad in 3/4 time with some good pedal steel to make it complete. "You Make Me Feel Bad" and "Our Time Has Come" are also two of the best in my opinion.

It's a pretty mellow album so don't expect to put it in your iPod for working out or anything like that. But if you and your spouse are really wanting to make some babies anytime soon, throw this one in!*

*NOTE: If you are like me in your baby-making ways you'll want to make sure you've got your player set to "repeat" for this album.

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Jeremy Messersmith - The Alcatraz Kid

2008-05-04T22:04:00.007-06:00

I love finding good music I haven't heard before. Last year, I stumbled across a local fellow's myspace page named Jeremy Messersmith. Very seldom do the first few chords and the initial vocal line draw me in the way his did that day. I believe the first song I heard was "Novocain". I listened to that particular track a few times before I moved on to other songs in his collection.

His debut album, The Alcatraz Kid, is solid from beginning to end. He has a somewhat melancholy style of writing, but not in an overly depressing sort of way. Messersmith writes about love (and lack there of), life frustrations, and childhood memories. You get little glimpses of his upbringing through lyrics of a few songs. Apparently his parents really wanted him to be a scientist. From what I gathered from an interview I heard, he was home schooled in Washington State, and moved to Minneapolis in 1999 to study music at North Central University. He used to hand out free copies of his music after live shows wrapped in a brown paper sandwich bag. Eventually, he released The Alcatraz Kid in 2006. He is currently working on a follow up album with local producer Dan Wilson.

Personally, I love this sort of stuff. Infectious melodies, descriptive heart felt lyrics, written mostly in minor keys. I'm excited to hear what the next album has in store. I'm curious to see if the lyrics will be a little more uplifting with the recent success of his first album. Time will tell.

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Robert Bradley's Blackwater Surprise

2008-04-30T07:29:00.001-06:00

The formula is genius: Take a blind soul-singing homeless old guy from the streets of Detroit and pair him up with a talented retro-loving jam band. It's a combination that just cannot fail. Alright, commercially RBBS haven't exactly topped the charts, but once again great music does not equate to commercial success in this "musiconomy".

This album is their debut that came out in 1996. They've since released numerous albums and I enjoy all of them, but this one is still my favorite. It's got flavors of rock, funk, soul, and blues all mixed together in a delightful dish of Blackwater Surprise.

You may have heard the song "Once Upon a Time" on the radio back in the day. It's a laid back soul song that may be my favorite on the album, but other ballads such as "Governer", "After Your Love", and "For The Night" come in close behind. "Shake It Off", "Bellybone", and "Trouble Brother" all have a funk edge to them that will get you groovin'. There is some tasty Hammond organ on this album. Enough said!

The moral of the story is if you find a talented blind homeless guy, help him out. And by "help him out" I mean get that man some nice suits and make him the lead singer of your awesome band.

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Concert Review: Needtobreathe

2008-04-29T07:47:00.004-06:00

Needtobreathe came to Minneapolis for a FREE show at the Uptown Grill & Bar last night. After listening to their most recent album (The Heat) nonstop for the last week, I was more than a little fired up to get to the show. Amidst the ambiance of greasy food and a really old bar, the band did not disappoint!!

The show opened with “Shine On,” a popular song off of the Daylight album. The band ensued to play for about another hour. The highlights were the songs “More Time” and “Washed By The Water,” both songs off The Heat album. “More Time,” which has started to get some play on local radio stations, and was simply unbelievable. When the song took the twangy turn a few minutes in, the lead guitarist (Bo) went to town. All I can say is wow!!! Made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck.

Shortly following “More Time,” the lead singer (Bear) decided to play “Washed By The Water” entirely acoustic. That meant no mikes, no nothing. This got the crowd a bit fired up. There ended up being many hands raised to the heavens... beers in hand of course! They closed out the show out in style with “We Could Run Away.” Simply awesome.

The most surprising part about the show was the crowd. A local radio station had advertised the show for the week leading up to it, and the band played in studio a few hours before the show. Combine this with the fact it was a free show, we were just hoping to get in the door! We got to the show about an hour early, and not only did we get in the door, but we got a spot front and center. We half way wondered if we were at the right place.

In total, there ended up being about 100 people at the show. In our opinion, along with everyone else that had the privilege of being at the show, the band should be playing in front of thousands of people and in a much different setting. Not 100 people in an old Bar & Grill. We felt like we had won a drawing for an exclusive viewing of the band or something! The band did announce they are going to try and get back to the Minneapolis area come August. With “More Time” starting to get some radio play, we can only hope that show won’t be quite as exclusive…

Dan Wilson - Free Life

2008-04-26T20:24:00.007-06:00

I'm going to go ahead and get all of the Semisonic talk out of the way first thing. I'm sure everyone knows the song "Closing Time". It's been on nearly every VH1 One Hit Wonder special. No matter what that song did to this band, they put out a pretty decent album in Feeling Strangely Fine ("Secret Smile" and "Gone to the Movies" put me to sleep many nights). It's tough to be stuck with the one hit wonder label...I even walked past a Dan Wilson solo performance in Minneapolis figuring he didn't have much to offer. I was wrong.

Wilson has put together a great solo album in Free Life. He has some great compilations with Sean Watkins (Nickel Creek) on "Free Life" and "Baby Doll", Sheryl Crow on "Sugar", and Gary Louris (The Jayhawks) on "Cry" and "Come Home Angel". He's also written songs for the Dixie Chicks, Jason Mraz, and Mike Doughty. Obviously Wilson is talented and it really shows on this album. "Cry" first caught my attention, but the whole disc is solid. If I ever get a chance to hear him again, you can bet I'll stop and listen....

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Embrace - The Good Will Out

2008-04-24T08:42:00.004-06:00

This debut album came out in 1998 and none of the songs ever probably got a lick of radio airtime here in the USA. That's a shame because this is a fantastic collection of songs, both mellow and heavier. But I suppose in '98 we were starting to get a big dose of Britney, Christina, and Jessica. What can I say? America's musical tastes pretty much bite. That gives Best Album of the Day a reason to exist though: We must educate the masses.

Some of the louder songs are very Oasis-like (see "All You Good Good People" and "The Last Gas"). I am also wondering if guitarist Richard McNamara is singing a few of them too since they don't sound like lead singer and brother Danny McNamara. Either way, great songs.

This album contains a ton of slower, ballad-like tracks as well. "Come Back to What You Know", "Fireworks", and "Now You're Nobody" are all excellent, but the best track on the album by far is the title track "The Good Will Out." It's the final song on the album and provides one of the best album closings that I've ever heard. They closed their A Glorious Day: Live in Leeds concert DVD with that track and it's amazing. And thanks to the goodness of YouTube, you can view it online!

Great album, great band. I wish they'd come to this continent someday. To think that Coldplay used to open for these guys.

Rich Price - All These Roads

2008-04-19T01:06:00.008-06:00

Got another Dispatch connection for you. I don't know a lot about this guy, apart from him being Pete Francis' roommate in college. I first heard a couple songs off of his Night Opens disc. He has a great voice...makes for a pretty layed back sound on his albums. I heard the song Queen B off of this disc, which was one of those songs you can listen to repeatedly, and checked out the rest of the album. It's soft, but it's really pretty good. If you like the sound, I recommend listening to his previous albums as well...you'll get hooked.

Jon Foreman - Spring

2008-04-16T09:00:00.005-06:00

So can a six-song EP really qualify as a best ALBUM of the day? Well, not really. However, if you put out four of these EPs in a year's time - as Jon Foreman is doing - we'll make an exception. In fact, I think getting 24 songs in six-song installments makes it easier to get to know the songs better. So I salute you, Jon Foreman, Mr. Puts Out a Ton of Songs on Four Albums in a Year Guy. (sung like the beer commercials)

Spring is the third of the four EPs, all of which have been much mellower than anything by Foreman's band, Switchfoot. It is heavily layered with strings, horns, and eclectic percussion, and every song is acoustic-based. So far my favorite song is "Your Love is Strong." I should add that even though I am listing Spring as today's best album, all of the EPs so far have been worthy of that honor.

I don't know if I can come up with any good comparisons for this stuff, but I hear a little bit of Sufjan Stevens, Bright Eyes, Damien Rice, Wilco, and a whole bunch of other stuff I can't quite put my finger on. Maybe a little bit of Beatles' Yellow Submarine???

It's interesting that I'm such a big Foreman/Switchfoot fan. When I was a junior in college, Switchfoot were the opening band for a concert on campus. This is when they were all really young. I thought they were absolutely horrible. I couldn't believe they had even achieved opening-act status. Needless to say, they have improved greatly and I've really enjoyed their last few albums, and I absolutely love Foreman's solo stuff.

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Marc Ford - It's About Time

2008-04-12T10:12:00.005-06:00

Marc Ford, the talented former/current/former guitarist for the Black Crowes, put out this collection of classic rock-inspired songs in 2002. It doesn't sound like he's just trying to emulate rock music from the early 1970's, it actually sounds like it was recorded in the 1970's. The flavors of the Rolling Stones, Neil Young, James Gang, Allman Brothers, Tom Petty, The Faces, etc are all there. There's a little hint of The Replacements too.

I've mentioned before that my favorite Crowes album is Southern Harmony and Musical Companion, the first one that included Ford. He is an excellent guitarist and his skills shine through on It's About Time (especially some tasty slide playing - check out "California"). Beyond Ford, this album includes some cool horn arrangements and background vocals. The piano throughout the album just hits the spot.

Among my favorite tracks are "When You Go" and "Two Mules and a Rainbow", both total homages to Neil Young in their own way. If you're going to listen to just one song, check out "Shining Again." I don't know if I've ever used this description on Best Album of the Day before, but that song is just beautiful...in a classic rock, smoky-bar-last-call kind of way.

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Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago

2008-04-11T10:32:00.008-06:00

Bon Iver is a solo project by Justin Vernon. I first heard about this album when the Star Tribune ran a story about him. He was originally in a band call DeYarmond Edison. After their break up, Vernon went up to his father's land in Wisconsin for the winter to get some solitude for three months. After a few days of hard work on the land he began to write and record this album. He would spend his mornings in the deer stand and then go to work for 12 hours a time on the album. I really like the somber sound of the album. "Skinny Love" is a great song that I can't stop listening to...definitely worth checking out!

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